Life settled down again in the month following. Both castles got baby-proofed again for the first time in over two decades, and the weekend get-togethers allowed the new parents an unexpected reprieve as well because there were plenty of aunts and uncles to cuddle and hold and feed and diaper babies as needed.
On one weekend a month after Devin had been born, the gathering happened on Protea. The throne room had become the go-to spot for the sleepovers, and since Shanae and Robert gave all staff the day off, cooking was left to Julianna and Storm—which they did not mind. Terry had become a part of the gatherings as much as Logan had, and both had finally started to get used to it.
From where he had sprawled on the floor with Navidan to play cards, Theo said cheerfully, "Don't worry, guys. Kimber's reprieve is almost up on getting dragged into these things. I told her she had a few months to adjust to the 'oh, damn, I'm dating a prince' thing, and that's just about done. I figure I'll let her seduce me sometime this coming week and then bring her along as my betrothed."
Terry muttered something uncomplimentary, and Robert grinned at him. "Oh, get over it! You moved pretty fast on seducing Beth, so you have no room to complain." He moved a chess piece across the board he was playing against Raine. "At least you're both not dating another set of siblings who are also your best friends and adopted family members. Now that can be awkward."
Sayena stuck her tongue out at him briefly. "At the least," she reminded him politely, "you had warning. We both mutually decided when we were kids that we would marry our Protea counterparts, so you can't say you didn't know I would literally strip naked and climb on Evan's lap once we were old enough."
Reagan almost fell over giggling. "You did not."
"I very did! Which is almost not unlike how things went in our first lives, really. Robert and I figured it out early that we would marry Shanae and Evan, and then we figured out how to make it work. At least I didn't have as much trouble as my brother."
Shanae scowled. "I still have not forgiven any of you for never telling me Robert was my first suitor, or that he was even on my list!" She aimed a finger at the room in general. "There better not be any hidden names on your lists, kids. I know where the lot of you live! If you find your soul mate, just drag their ass to the family party and be done with it. We can sort formalities later."
Beth felt a sharp pain in her heart that was not her own and looked quickly at the windows. Tasia was perched on the seat and staring out across the vast gardens. She had barely spoken a word all day, and the talk of soul mates and betrothals had poured salt into her open wounds. Beth made a quick silencing gesture at the room in whole, and everyone fell silent.
Shanae paused only a moment before getting to her feet and walking over to sit across from Tasia. The two of them had become very close, very fast, with an emotional bond more like sisters than merely best friends. They were closer to one another in some ways than they were to anyone else, except perhaps Sayena. No one knew if it was because of LeAnn, Liena and Jean, Byron, or the fact that they were kindred spirits. There seemed to be something neither of them would tell anyone else, but the others knew them too well to push for answers. When it was important, they would explain.
"Tell me what's wrong," Shanae said softly.
"No."
Arista and Robert shared a wry smile with Evan. Even they hesitated to tell Shanae no to her face. More than power had passed down through Tasia's bloodline, that was for sure.
Emily abruptly shot to her feet. "Call him," she told her leader fiercely. "Call for him. Call him right now! If he doesn't respond, then he doesn't deserve you. You're killing us, Tasi! You've given him months to get his ass in line. Call him immediately! Maybe he's stuck and can't find you! Call him!"
Tasia glanced at her and started to respond, and then suddenly felt a painful wrenching in her soul. She shot to her feet and looked around sharply. When someone started to speak, she held up a hand to silence them. She reached out with her arcanistry and felt the ripple across the Plane that meant transport magic from a long distance was being attempted, but in danger of failing.
Music began to well in the air around her body and sent chills down the backs of the others. It came out of her soul with desperate longing until all couples present were forced to claps hands. As her majik rose within the music, she finally lifted her voice in counterpart, with a force as much a spell as song.
Even though I stand here alone, you are with me
Always
I’ll take us back to the beginning of the dream that we shared
I’m carried up in the night sky circling within your arms
Don’t look down, look ahead, and see the sky drawing ever closer
I’ll share the songs that break through my soul
I’ll share the dreams that created my love
I can’t be afraid of anything that is beginning
A star in the sky is shining for you
A star in the sky is shining for me
Reflected like the sun in the midnight velvet of your eyes
There was nothing anyone could say. The Resurrection Cultivators were more prepared for it, but even they could say nothing. She was stronger. She had gotten stronger. She sang with unbridled passion and longing, emotions so complex and deep that almost no one there could even comprehend them.
Almost.
Please tell me, can I share your strength when mine fades?
I promise
That I will protect you from anything that wants to hurt you
I’m carried up on the night drifting within this dream
I can’t look down, I won’t look back, at the land I’ve left behind forever
I’ll share the stars being drawn down
I’ll share the sea as it rolls over to the shore
I won’t let you be swept away from me
This love is the fire of my heart
This love is the power that burns in my soul
An eternal flame for you that cannot be extinguished
Shanae and Sayena shared a long look as they felt their souls resonating in response to the fury of the music. Their sorceress priestess felt and functioned on a level that was on par with their own as Apexes, if not deeper. It might very well have been a product of her arcanistry, which was indeed not dissimilar from their own arcanery. It was . . . curious. Perhaps the meaning behind it, whatever it was, would be the answer to the deliberateness of the creation of the Resurrection Era Lead Defender.
I’ll call down the night that lifts us up
I’ll call down the dream that protects us both
I have majik for you that I am longing to share
This song is the proof of my heart
This song is the promise that I gave you
I promise I won’t stop loving you even if time ends
I’ll share the songs that break through my soul
I’ll share the dreams that created my love
I can’t be afraid of anything that is beginning
A star in the sky is shining for you
A star in the sky is shining for me
Reflected like the sun in the midnight velvet of your eyes
We’re dancing up on the night
We’re dancing up on the night
I’ll share the majik as it calls my love
The last note hovered in the air far longer than any voice could have dared imagine was possible. As it faded away, there was not a dry eye in the room. There wasn't one in the palace, the city, the world, the galaxy . . . the entire universe vibrated with the emotion of a Mystic's call to her lover.
"Wow," Asheria breathed softly.
Someone knocked lightly on the throne room door, and they all turned. Only the Resurrection Cultivators recognized the handsome man braced there with his black eyes riveted to Tasia. More than one gasped softly. He looked more than a little ragged at the edges, and clearly tired. Far weaker than they remembered him.
"Holy hell!" Raine scrambled to her feet and rushed across the room. She grabbed onto Rodi before he fell, and as soon as she touched him, she realized. He still smelled like black poppies and resonated powerful majik, but he no longer echoed magic. He had Deactivated his Seed. "I've got you. Are you okay?"
"Just tired." His eyes never left Tasia. She looked more beautiful than he remembered, a little haunted, and he could feel the echo of her sleepless nights across nine months. "Transport almost failed. Megan did her best, but I'm still weak. I just . . . couldn't wait any longer." He pulled away from Raine and slowly made his way toward Tasia. He stopped in front of her and cupped her cheek in his hand. The touch of her skin felt like pure joy. "Tasi."
Her eyes closed as tears welled, and joyous music began to ripple into the air around her, echoing into the others' souls before it ever reached their ears. Pain had begun to rush away, the gouges in her soul healing at last. "I felt you trying," she whispered huskily. "I sang. I had to. I knew you needed me." Her lips trembled as she smiled. "You're not a Ruler anymore, but I guess I will still be like a Caretaker to you."
"I can handle that. And I will forever be yours as well." His breath hitched as she threw her arms around his neck and held on tightly. His own arms banded around her waist as he buried his face in her hair. He could still hear the echoes of her song in his ears, feel it burned into his soul. "I'm here," he said fiercely. "I'm never leaving again." His mind brushed against hers, needing that touch as well. Do you suppose you ought to introduce me to these people? Especially that blond at the piano. He's giving me a dirty look.
They can wait. She eased back, framed his face with her hands, and kissed him with all the love in her heart. The entire room, including her father, immediately burst into cheers and applause. When she finally pulled back again, she found herself falling into the depths of his black eyes. The magenta shadows in his gaze reflected the Gray of his soul, and it both protected and soothed her. She would never be alone with the night again.
The moment he had released her, the other Resurrection Cultivators rushed over to hug him tightly, even Emily. He was one of them, and they had missed him too. LeAnn happily hugged him tight around the neck. "I knew you'd make it!" she told him. "I was only giving you another month until I went looking for you though. Because, reasons."
Shanae fought to hold back laughter, and only cleared her throat politely. "I don't suppose we might get an introduction, hmm? Not that we haven't seen or caused our share of scenes, of course."
Rodi slid his arms around Tasia's waist and kept her tucked close. He couldn't bear to let go just yet. "My name is Rodi Aria," he offered. "I was the True Born Ruler Cultivator of Aria. I chose to Deactivate my Seed to come join Anastasia here where she is needed most. My sister is now Ruler Cultivator of Aria in my stead. So . . . I guess Aria is finally allied with Blossom Field?"
Sayena started giggling. "Of course! If you're the soul mate of our Resurrection Era Lead Defender, then there has to be alliance. It can be considered finalized when you two marry!"
"We need to plan the wedding soon," Yvette announced firmly with a smile of her own. "Tasia is a Crown Princess, and the first of the Resurrection Era to marry. It needs to be big and elaborate." She smiled at Rodi, already sure that she would like him. It took a special individual to be the mate of any Cultivator, let alone a Lead Defender. He and Maxim, and Robert, would no doubt get along quite well.
"Uhm." Reagan winced.
"Heh." Storm rubbed the back of his neck.
Tasia cleared her throat. "Mom . . . Dad . . . everyone . . . ah, if the alliance is considered to be finalized on marriage . . . then it's sort of a done deal. We're kind of already married."
Maxim started laughing. "Oh, this ought to be good. How did you end up married in the middle of whatever you were doing out there?"
After a moment, she decided, "Let's call it involuntary matrimony because we had no idea the conditions for it were present." She side-eyed Rodi who coughed. "And for the record, someone failed as a Caretaker because we were married before we became lovers."
"Shame on you!" Sabin scolded, but on a grin. "Tasi, you couldn't take the duty yourself, since you were his Caretaker for a while?"
"I tried."
Dane started laughing as he looked at Yvette. "She really is a daddy's girl."
"Don't remind me," Yvette groused. "You two will keep me on my toes for all of time." She grinned at Rodi. "Welcome to the family, though."
"Married or not," Sayena decided after a moment, "there should still be a ceremony. Yvette is right. It's the first of the Resurrection Era." She laughed. "Of course, it would be the Lead first!"
Much to Tasia's fascination and mild horror, there was no getting out of it. Being heir to the throne of Iris meant a lot more trouble than she had imagined, and in far more ways. Try as she might to protest that she didn't want or need a big ceremony, she hit the solid wall of resistance from her mothers, fathers, and even the two High Queens. She was a Crown Princess and that was that. But, in exchange for playing nice, she and Rodi would get to take a long honeymoon at the location of their choice. At least that was something.
Word quickly spread as invitations were sent out. Nearly everyone who had known the Resurrection Cultivators before they Activated had accepted their new positions with a shrug and a smile for the whims of Destiny, and therefore they reacted with genuine happiness at discovering that the first wedding of the new Era was about to take place. Everyone invited accepted the invitation, and the chatter among the streets filled with anticipation and delight. Almost no one had anything negative to say.
Almost.
The day of the wedding dawned beautifully. The ceremony was to be held on Delphinium with the intent for the reception to be on Protea. It was symbolic of the unity of the Resurrection Cultivators, and acknowledgement of the fact that Tasia was still technically of the Light planets though High Priestess of Protea and twin to LeAnn.
The only hitch in that combination came about because Tasia, as High Priestess, was technically the one who was supposed to perform the marriage ceremonies for the Lower Rulers, especially Crown ones. She did not get to marry off the High Princesses because of the potential coronation involved, but she wholly looked forward to getting the rest of her friends. Unfortunately, she couldn't perform her own ceremony either.
After some intense debate, it was finally decided that Shanae would do the honors since Tasia was LeAnn's twin soul and it was the first marriage of the Resurrection Era. The entirety of both kingdoms had been waiting breathlessly for this moment. It was a sign, the real sign, of the start of the new Era.
Though the overall ceremony for a Crown Ruler and a High Ruler was quite similar, there were a few differences. Crown Rulers could select a personal attendant and three companions to accompany them. Tasia chose LeAnn as her attendant, and Raine, Storm, and Beth as her companions. They not only would escort her down the aisle to Rodi—she walked because she now outranked him thanks to his Deactivation—they were also the ones who helped her get ready for the event.
Tasia's wedding dress was handmade by Asheria and Beth, and it looked a brilliant evolution of her Iris Ruler gown. It dripped with the amethysts special only to Iris, had been given a full skirt of multiple tiers, and the finest silks and laces adorned it. It would have normally had white ribbons on it as well, but Tasia instead had gray ones to pay homage to her core and the changing Core of her world. The coronet of amethysts and irises that only a Crown Princess of Iris could wear sat waiting to the side while Beth merrily coiled and curled up the intensely thick locks of the bride's hair. "I really do wish your hair was edible," she said around a mouthful of pins. "If it was actually chocolate, it'd be a twenty-pound candy bar."
Tasia just snorted and kept her eyes closed while Storm deftly applied her makeup. "Lucky for your blood sugar, it isn't."
Beth had finished her hair and was just putting the coronet on top when the door to the room opened to let Yvette, Dane, and Olivia in. All three stopped in utter shock at the sight before them. "Goddess," Olivia breathed. Her lips trembled as tears welled. "Oh, baby, you look so beautiful." She looked every bit the princess her mother had always thought she should be.
Tasia smiled. "I feel beautiful. I try to admit when others are right, so, I have to say that you were right to make us do this. I want this memory for always."
"It'll be a wonderful one." Yvette sat down beside her daughter on one side while Olivia sat on the other. The three parents had become close friends, and the two royals felt humbled to share such an amazing child with the other witch—and Tosh as well. Yvette thought she might finally understand why she had been drawn to Jean Kinsley's side to protect her during the Battle for the Realm, and why Dane's missing abilities had been hiding near her too. There was a reason for everything. "Are we almost ready to go?"
"We are." Storm sat back with a satisfied smile. Not many could wear gray eyeshadow, but Tasia's eyes were the perfect shade of brown, and her mocha skin added the perfect foil. "You're ready, Tasi. Ooh!" He hugged his sister. "Now I'm going to cry. No wonder Raine kicked Dad out earlier."
Maxim knocked lightly on the door. "Time to take our places."
The three parents hugged their daughter tightly and then hurried out to find their places in the audience near Tosh. Though normally Yvette and Dane would stand with Olivia on one side of the altar to represent the bride's family, Tasia had requested that no one stand on her side because Rodi had no one on his. Travel to and from Aria would not be fully feasible for another year or two as the world's transport magic came back up to par and could accept and send ships as well as particularly powerful Ruler direct transports. Truly, only Tasia's song had gotten Rodi through safely.
When Tasia stepped onto the aisle, LeAnn was directly in front of her, Raine behind her, Storm to her left, and Beth to her right. Many eyes fixed to the High Princess as she led her twin down the aisle. She looked barely younger than her friends, and was strikingly gorgeous in her Ruler gown. More than one visiting noble watched her wistfully until they saw the Captain of the Protean Royal Knights glaring at them with deadly blue eyes.
At the end of the aisle, Rodi stepped forward to meet the escort. He wore a far more elaborate version of his Ruler suit, though it would be the last time he did wear it. Not only had the ability to call it faded already, but he would become a part of Iris. He would get a new suit marking him as belonging to that world, though it would pay homage to his birth world; he would also wear a black poppy pinned to his breast. As proof further of the worlds' deep uniting through their Cultivators, Tasia's bouquet held both purple irises and black poppies.
LeAnn stepped aside to let Tasia step forward, and the bride smiled as she accepted her groom's offered hand. They walked together the last few feet to the altar where Shanae stood waiting for them.
The High Queen smiled at them both and then lifted her voice. "It has been five thousand years," she began, "since a Ruler Cultivator of Blossom Field was married. This moment begins the Resurrection Era anew. When the kingdoms of the galaxy are rebuilt, the woman before you will be the queen of Iris. Though not born to the royal blood, she is nonetheless the Daughter of Iris for the planet itself chose her; the streaks in her hair are a mark of her heritage. She has been chosen as both Ruler and Defender for Iris, and even the distant Aria claims as her as Defender as well. She carries the honor of being the Lead Defender of this generation, and you should feel as proud of her as Destiny herself is."
Her eyes swept over the crowd. "We gather here to celebrate this union between two souls. If you feel you have a right to object, speak up now." If you dare. The words hovered unspoken in the air. Because Tasia had not had any names on her suitor list, Shanae was obligated to ask for objections, but that did not mean she believed it had merit.
To the surprise of the entire room, a male voice said from the back, "I object. How do you know she didn't put a spell on him to make him want her? No sane person is going to marry a freaking witch."
A shocked silence descended as everyone turned to see a man standing in the doorway. His face had flushed with anger and hate, and Tasia could only gape for a moment as she recognized him. Shock quickly was replaced by fury, and it rose audibly in the air as a warning pulse of music.
"Prince Rodi," Shanae murmured, though with a bite, "I believe you have right to address that objection."
"I would sooner say," Rodi said icily, "that a sane person would more than willingly accept a sorceress' love. Who are you to dare interfere where you are not welcome? She allowed a single date with you five years ago, and you presume to think you have any right to object? I am terribly sorry to inform you, but she accepted that date purely out of pity. You should be honored she even looked your way when I have been hers since before we were born." His eyes narrowed and gold majik rippled over his body in a way that made people gasp in realization. "There is no spell on me, and if there was, I would not mind at all."
A little smirk touched Shanae's lips as she looked at Sabin and Maxim. "Lead Commander? Commander Maxim? The objection is denied. Remove him."
"With pleasure." The two men walked down the aisle, grabbed the younger man's arms, and hauled him out without breaking stride. They returned mere minutes later and retook their places. "Go ahead," Maxim told Shanae with a satisfied smile.
"Anyone else?" she asked the crowd mildly. "And I warn you now, disparaging comments against the High Priestess of Protea will not be accepted. The next person to speak on such a thing will be hauled out by the dragon and possibly be made into lunch." As a couple eyes shifted warily to Striker sitting on Sayena's shoulder, who bared his teeth, she was appeased. "Good. Now, where was I?"
"Marrying us," Tasia supplied helpfully.
"Right. Well, then." The queen smiled as she picked up ribbons in white, red, and black. She wrapped them around Tasia and Rodi's joined hands. "Bound as one, your paths from this day forward are joined together. Do you walk together willingly?"
"We do," they said softly.
"Then speak your vows before us all."
Because Tasia and Rodi were already married, they did not need to exchange rings. They had already placed rings of their world's stone on each other's pinkies within days of being reunited, to match the clips they wore from Aria. Tasia instead softly touched the clip in Rodi's hair and then brought his hands to her lips to kiss each ring. "I vow on my life to love you until the end of forever. I will protect you and fight for you when you are hurt. I will be the Ice that protectively blankets your soul, and the Shadow that chases you across the night. I will Care for you, and hold you together, when you feel as if you can't stand alone."
He touched the clip in her hair and then brought her ringed fingers to his lips. He then pressed a third kiss to her palm in a way that made more than one person sigh happily, including their friends. "I vow on my life to love you until the end of forever. I will carry and protect you when you are weak, and I will be the Shadow that brings you peaceful sleep when you are tired. I will Care for you, and hold you together, when you feel as if you can't stand alone."
"With these words, you are one, and you walk together." Shanae grinned as she untied their wrists. "All things begin with a kiss, and so should your new life."
"If she insists," Rodi murmured as he pulled Tasia into his arms.
Her lips curved. "I think she does." Joy welled inside her blindingly as her husband kissed her, and she threw her arms around his neck fiercely. The joy pierced her soul, spilled into the air as music, and everyone began to cheer and clap.
As the kiss continued, Emily finally shouted, "Get a room, would you?"
"We intend to," Rodi retorted, and set off another round of laughter.
"Don't make me aim this at you, Em," Tasia warned as she waved her bouquet threateningly. The bouquet existed solely to be tossed at waiting unmarried folks to see who may be next to take the fateful plunge.
Emily promptly hid behind Diego who just grinned. No Cultivator went without a Caretaker forever; Emily would get hers someday. He and Arista alike looked forward to seeing their daughter land her mate. It took certain qualities to be the soul mate of a Hyacinth Cultivator, especially a Dual, so in the tradition of her lineage, Emily would find that one person she could neither intimidate nor run roughshod over—and her parents would enjoy every minute.
With the ceremony done, the party moved to Protea for the reception. The festive mood remained high, and everyone laughed and had a wonderful time. When Tasia finally did throw the bouquet, it landed in Logan's arms, though it had been a close call between him and Raine. They decided to share since they would be marrying each other, which made more than one person laugh.
The first dance of the night belonged to Rodi and Tasia, of course, and even Shanae felt surprised when she watched them move together; Tasia truly was music incarnate, and as brilliant a dancer as she was a warrior. Not a single dry eye was left as the couple flowed in the romantic notes while Theo's beautiful voice sang of happily ever after in accompaniment to Dane's piano and Asheria's flute.
The Resurrection Era was off a good start, Shanae thought as she smiled at Sayena. With this unusual and gifted generation of Cultivators as its guardians, it would have a strong and prosperous future.
It was about bloody damned time.
©Stacy J. Garrett. Do not reprint or redistribute without permission.
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